The Numbers Don’t Lie: Florida Report Debunks Myth of Concealed Carry Crime

When the topic of concealed carry and extending the rights of American citizens to keep and bear arms is broached, many people, especially left-leaning politicians revert to the big lie; Concealed carry equals more gun crime. Of course this comment isn’t based on facts or even cooked statistics. It’s simply a thoughtless, programmed, knee-jerk, anti-gun reaction. Any person with any sense of intellectual honesty who examines the “concealed gun carry equals increased gun violence” argument can only come to one conclusion; Bullsh*t.

It’s unfathomable how anyone could try to credibly argue that honest Americans who have completed a background check, submitted to fingerprint checks, attended sanctioned firearms training courses approved by the state, are no better (nor more trustworthy) than some scumbag who unlawfully carries a concealed weapon exclusively for criminal purposes.

A June 2009 report filed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Licensing, released Florida’s statistics on concealed carry holders. The report completely debunks the myth of the anti-gun/concealed carry loons. The document details the number of applications, denials, approvals and revocations in the state since October 1st, 1987 through June 30th, 2009. It’s current, relevant material.

The state reported that out of 1,540,712 Floridians licensed to carry a concealed weapon, only 167 people committed a crime with a gun after being licensed. The fact is, the overwhelming majority of people who reapproved for concealed carry, nearly 99% are completely law-abiding citizens. Please view the report for yourself at: http://licgweb.doacs.state.fl.us/stats/cw_monthly.html

If one assumes that Florida is generally typical of other American states, when you multiply the report’s jaw dropping numbers across 50 states one soon realizes people with concealed carry permits are far less likely to be involved in criminal activity than the average American. For advocates of the Second Amendment, these numbers are encouraging and should be view optimistically. It’s well documented that concealed carry permit holders have saved lives in every state that offers what many argue is a right.

Imagine had one person at Columbine, The Alrosa Villa Virginia Tech or Luby had been carrying a concealed weapon. How many lives may have been saved.